Turbocrimper

ABSTRACT

A crimping tool attachment for drills that crimps spiral sheet metal pipe decreasing the diameter allowing it to fit into an equally sized spiral sheet metal pipe. The crimping tool will adjust for different sized drills using an adjustable steel rod in combination with a commercial grade rubber bands with holes allowing for adjustment. The crimping tool used in conjunction with an impact drill will crimp the ends of spiral sheet metal pipe in seconds using very little physical labor.

I claim the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/728599 Titled “TURBOCRIMPER” filed on Oct. 19, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

In the past joining two equally sized sheet metal pipes together, for HVAC, would require a lot of physical strength and time. There were two methods for crimping spiral sheet metal pipe.

One was to use a hand plier style crimping tool which was hard to manually close and crimp the sheet metal. Having to manually crimp the sheet metal was taking a lot of time and manual labor. This was causing companies to lose money on labor and production.

The second method for crimping spiral sheet metal pipe is to use a heavy table mounted, gear driven, and adjustable crimping device. Due to immobility, of the table mounted device, this is only practical in the fabrication of spiral sheet metal pipe and not in the installation field.

BREIF SUMMARY

In operation one would use a crimping device to enable connection between two equally sized spiral sheet metal ducts used in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning construction trade. By operating the “TURBOCRIMPER” one would be able to increase productivity and decrease labor by minimizing the amount of time that it takes to crimp the end of a piece of spiral sheet metal. Once you've attached the impact drill to the female socket head 20 and to the steel rod 1 and rubber band 2, its ready for use. Turn the T handle 11 counter-clockwise to separate the gears 4 and 5. Insert the piece of sheet metal you would like to crimp between gears 4 and 5. Turn the T handle 11 clockwise to close the gears 4 and 5, clamping the sheet metal between the teeth. The motion of the spinning gears 4 and 5 with many sprocket like teeth would drive around the spiral sheet metal pipe causing the crimping action, reducing the diameter of the duct, making the pipe ready to be joined to another piece of pipe. “TURBOCRIMPER” has no parallel. It is the only mobile powered crimping device available and is much faster than any other method of crimping.

The use of the “TURBOCRIMPER” will bring down man hours and bring up productivity in the installation of spiral sheet metal pipe in the HVAC field. Due to the mobility and speed of the “TURBOCRIMPER”, you decrease the installation time and increase a company's profit

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a transparent view of the “TURBOCRIMPER” looking through the bottom.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the “TURBOCRIMPER”

FIG. 3 is a transparent side view of the adjustable housing.

FIG. 4 is a transparent inside view of the adjustable housing.

FIG. 5 is a view of the back of the adjustable housing.

FIG. 6 is a transparent inside view of the stationary gear housing.

FIG. 7 is a view of the back of the stationary gear housing.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the stationary gear housing.

FIG. 9 is a transparent side view of the stationary gear housing.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the steel track plate.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the steel track plate.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the steel track plate.

FIG. 13 none

FIG. 14 is a back view of the steel back plate.

FIG. 15 is a view of the free spinning shaft.

FIG. 16 is a view of the drive shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 16 are perspective views of the crimping device constructed in accordance with the invention. An attached portion 1 is a steel rod used to brace the handle of a impact drill and secure the handle to the steel rod with a commercial grade rubber band with holes for adjustability like a belt and buckle. The steel rod 1 slides through a hole drilled into the track steel plate 3. The steel rod 1 is also adjustable in height due to different sized impact drills. The height can be adjusted by loosening the socket cap screw 9 and by either pulling or pushing the steel rod 1 until you've reached the desired height and re-tighten the socket cap screw 9. Back steel plate 10 is secured to the track steel plate 3 with two socket cap screws 9. The back steel plate 10 houses the threaded steel and T handle 11 used to separate and close the adjustable gear housing 13 to stationary gear housing 15 much like a table mounted vice clamp. The threaded steel portion of 11 leverages through the back steel plate 10 and pushes or pulls against adjustable gear housing which it threads into. The adjustable gear housing 13 is secured to a T shaped steel 12 that serves as a guide to slide through track 18 machined into the track steel plate 3. Stationary gear housing 15 is mounted to steel track plate 3 with four socket cap screws 19. Both housings, 13 and 15, are machined hollow in order to fit gears 4 and 5 inside them. The gears alone are identical with many sprocket like teeth which fit together when adjusted to closed position. Gear 4 slips on a steel shaft 6 that is pressed into machined holes on top and bottom of the adjustable gear housing 13 allowing the gear 4 to spin freely inside its housing and/or be driven by gear 5. Gear 5 is pressed on a steel shaft 7 with bearings 8 top and bottom which are pressed into machine holes in the stationary gear housing 15. The steel shaft 7 penetrates the steel track plate 3 with a bearing where the female drive socket head 20 for drill attachment is located. The bearing 8 located at the female socket head attachment 20 is pressed into the steel track plate 3. An operator would insert a drill attachment into the female drive socket head 20 and use drill to create the spinning motion needed for the device to function.

By operating the “TURBOCRIMPER” one would be able to increase productivity and decrease labor by minimizing the amount of time that it takes to crimp the end of a piece of spiral sheet metal. Once you've attached the impact drill to the female socket head 20 and to the steel rod 1 and rubber band 2, its ready for use. Turn the T handle 11 counter-clockwise to separate the gears 4 and 5. Insert the piece of sheet metal you would like to crimp between gears 4 and 5. Turn the T handle 11 clockwise to close the gears 4 and 5, clamping the sheet metal between the teeth. The motion of the spinning gears 4 and 5 with many sprocket like teeth would drive around the spiral sheet metal pipe causing the crimping action, reducing the diameter of the duct, making the pipe ready to be joined to another piece of pipe. 

1. An adjustable power drill attachment crimping device used to decrease the size of sheet metal spiral pipe in order to join with an equally sized sheet metal pipe used in heating ventilation and air conditioning. 